Franz Julius Biltz - “Pioneer Pastor”
One of
the most familiar names associated with the community of Concordia, Missouri, throughout
its history has been Rev. Franz Julius Biltz.
He would serve as pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church actively for 41
years and 7 years in retirement. He was
also instrumental in establishing St. Paul’s College and even served as the
first postmaster. One lasting legacy of
Biltz was his coining the name of the town, “Concordia” in 1860. Famed Lutheran theologian, P.E.
Kretzmann, described Biltz’s leadership
in Concordia, “Once a pioneer, always a pioneer!”
Franz
Julius Biltz was a thirteen year-old orphan when a group of German Lutherans
left their home country for religious freedom in the United States. There were more than 600 Saxons who had left
the increasing oppressive religious climate destined for the United States,
particularly Missouri. The presence of
Biltz among the immigrants was actually a source of scandal as he left with his
adult sister, but without the consent of his legal guardian. A legal notice was placed in the local
newspaper that sought his apprehension and anyone involved in his
“escape.” Biltz would remain in hiding
for nearly a month until the Saxons would leave Bremershaven, Germany on
November 18, 1838.
As the
Saxon immigrants began to settle into Perry County, they immediately built a
log cabin that would serve as the schoolhouse for the students. This is recognized as the beginning of
Concordia Seminary, which today is located in St. Louis. There were eleven students who were in
attendance on the first day of classes on December 9, 1839 in Altenburg. (The original “log cabin schoolhouse” is
maintained at the Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, Missouri. A replica of the log cabin is found on campus
at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.)
Among the first students were both Franz Julius Biltz and Maria von
Wurmb (a nine year old, who would go on to marry Biltz). In the early years, teaching responsibilities
in the school were carried out by Pastor C.F.W. Walther and three seminary
trained men who would in time receive calls to serve congregations, Friedrich
Buenger, Theodore Brohm, and Ottomar Fuerbringer. As his studies moved beyond the basic
“gymnasium” level of training to seminary level instruction, the primary
teacher was Gotthold Loeber (as the other men had all received calls outside of
the Perry County area).
Biltz
was in attendance at the formation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (known
then as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other
states) in 1847 as he was presented as a candidate for ordination to the
convention. Biltz was the second
graduate of Concordia Seminary after completing his studies (still in the log
cabin) in 1848. He was ordained at
Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, Missouri.
In 1853, he accepted a call to Maryland to establish a congregation in
Cumberland. Biltz would serve in
Cumberland until 1860 when he accepted the call to return to Missouri, serving
a growing congregation in Lafayette County, Missouri (today known as St. Paul’s
Lutheran Church in Concordia).
St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church in Concordia will begin a year-long celebration of its 175th
Anniversary on May 25, 2014. Pastor
Biltz was the longest-serving pastor in the congregation’s history. This is the first in a series of four articles
about Pastor Franz Julius Biltz.
No comments:
Post a Comment